Tone Woods for Guitar Tops
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Sitka Spruce
Sitka is the most common wood used for the archtop and flattop guitar. It is also my personal favorite for an archtop guitar top. Sitka produces a bright clear tone that has a very balanced sound. The trebles are quite punchy while the low end retains its clarity. I have also found it to be very versatile. Whether you play it soft with your fingers or you drive it with a pick, Sitka responds very well. The coloration can vary from light tan or yellowish, to light brown and may also have a striped appearance at times. Most of the pieces that I get have a nice tight grain and sometimes a bear claw figure. |
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European Spruce
European Spruce is a very good wood for tops. It has been used in violin making for centuries. European Spruce can be more difficult to find the same quality pieces as you can get in Sitka or Engelmann. It is a softer wood than Sitka and produces a darker tone acoustically. It is also a versatile tone wood. It sounds great for fingerstyle chord melody as well as pickstyle single note passages. It is not quite as loud acoustically as the Sitka but it will still respond nicely to a variety of playing styles. The coloration is usually a creamy white with a bit of a silvery luster to it. When used in combination with a European Maple back and sides, it gives the guitar a light creamy complexion to its body. |
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Engelmann Spruce
Engelmann Spruce is another popular choice for a top wood. It is similar to the European in its coloration and sound. It is a softer wood than the Sitka or the European Spruces and is more delicate in strength. It produces a warm sound acoustically and responds well to being played lightly. Weather you play with a pick or fingerstyle, it will sound great. The disadvantage to having an Engelmann top is that it will not respond well to being driven loudly. It has a creamy coloration similar to European Spruce and has been used as a substitute for European tops. |
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Adirondack Spruce (Red Spruce)
Adirondack Spruce has for years been a favorite for flattop guitar players. It is the stiffest and hardest of all the spruces that I have used. It has also recently become popular for use on archtop guitars. Many luthiers like it because it can be carved very thin due to its stiffness. It responds best when played loudly and would be ideal on a rhythm guitar in a big band or for acoustic bluegrass performances. When played lightly it does not respond as well as the other varieties of spruces that are available. Like European, Adirondack is becoming more expensive and difficult to find than Sitka and Engelmann. Its coloration can vary from a light tan to light yellow and may possess a reddish hue. |
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Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar has recently been used as a top wood for flattop guitars. I also really like the way it sounds on a smaller bodied 15" wide archtops. Western Cedar is a soft wood that produces a warm fat tone when played acoustically. Tight grained pieces are easy to locate and are much less costly than any of the spruce varieties. I use Western Red Cedar on my 15" and 17" St. Charles Avenue models. This wood coupled with a built-in pickup produces a great sound electronically as well as acoustically. The coloration is reddish or dark brown in appearance and works well with a dark sunburst finish. For those who are skeptical about Western Red Cedar, I assure you that this is a wonderful sounding tone wood with great response. |
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